Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long held an online meeting with Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), on the afternoon of December 8 at the MoIT headquarters in Hanoi.

Representing the MoIT were the deputy minister and officials from the Electricity Regulatory Authority; the Department of Innovation, Green Transition and Industrial Promotion. From the IEA, Birol was joined by energy experts in charge of Asia and ASEAN.

As the world’s leading energy organisation, the IEA assists partner countries in achieving energy security goals and advancing a clean and sustainable energy transition.

During the discussion, Deputy Minister Long expressed his pleasure at reconnecting with Fatih Birol following their most recent virtual meeting in July 2025. He noted that the MoIT and the IEA have strengthened cooperation in recent years, highlighted by the signing of a memorandum of understanding on energy collaboration during Minister Nguyen Hong Dien’s working trip to France on June 4, 2025.

The Deputy Minister emphasised that Vietnam is currently developing a number of key mechanisms and policies in the energy sector, including those related to nuclear power, LNG-fired power and renewable energy. These efforts aim to ensure sufficient electricity supply for Vietnam’s high-growth economic scenarios in the coming years.

The MoIT, he said, highly values the IEA’s role in providing expert support, research, materials and reports that project Vietnam’s electricity development trends in line with regional and global trajectories.

Sharing the same views, Birol acknowledged the critical role of nuclear power, LNG-to-power and renewables in ensuring Vietnam’s energy security and energy transition.

Regarding renewable energy, Birol underscored the need to invest in and upgrade grid connections to improve the transmission capacity for solar projects and other renewable sources.

He also highlighted the successful organisation of the Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Policy Training Course held in Hanoi from December 1 to 4, 2025, which attracted more than 170 domestic and international participants.

Recognising Vietnam’s recent progress, the IEA leader affirmed the agency’s readiness to support the country in developing emerging energy sectors. He also provided updates on the initial steps related to Vietnam’s proposal to become an IEA association country.

Wrapping up the meeting, Deputy Minister Long welcomed the IEA’s efforts to facilitate Vietnam’s potential association status. He requested that the IEA provide relevant documents, including draft agreements and information on the rights and obligations of association countries, for Vietnam’s review and inter-agency consultation.

Regarding domestic procedures, he noted that the MoIT has reported to the Prime Minister on the roadmap and required steps. The Government has assigned the MoIT to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to further assess Vietnam’s possibility of joining the IEA as an association country in accordance with regulations. The MoIT will expedite internal processes and report to competent authorities at the earliest opportunity.

Previously, in July 2025, Long also held discussions with Birol on cooperation activities under the existing MoU and the roadmap for Vietnam to become an association country.

The IEA currently has 13 association countries. In ASEAN, Indonesia and Singapore are members under this category.